The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology stated in Ponta Delgada that the Government of the Azores "has made an effort to develop scientific projects and space technology infrastructures in the Region."

Fausto Brito e Abreu spoke Tuesday at the closing session of the 22nd European Meeting of the VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) Group of Geodesy and Astrometry - EVGA that took place at Teatro Micaelense. The event was attended by nearly one hundred exports from 17 countries.

The VLBI Group of Geodesy and astrometry promotes the collaboration of scientists working in the field of very long base interferometry, one of the most accurate methods used to measure the Earth and its orientation in space.

Speaking at the end of one of the most relevant scientific meetings, the Regional Secretary stressed that "the Region is interested in hosting major scientific meetings in the field of space technologies and other strategic areas for the Azores."

Fausto Brito e Abreu pointed out that one of the goals of the Regional Government is "to ensure that the Azores seize the advantage of their strategic location in the middle of the Atlantic to develop space technologies." The Regional Secretary mentioned that "there has been a major investment in the implementation of technological infrastructures," particularly in stations dedicated to space and Earth observation, climatology and detection of nuclear tests.

In the context of the annual meeting of EVGA, the Government opened today one of the four fundamental geodetic stations that make up the Atlantic Network of Space Geodynamic Stations (RAEGE). These stations will focus on studies to be conducted in the areas of astronomy, geodesy and geophysics.

"The use of satellite images has a major potential in the archipelago, especially with regard to the monitoring of the ocean and coastal areas, Earth Sciences research, seismo-volcanic monitoring, climatology, the study of the atmosphere, and the mapping of vegetation," said Brito e Abreu.

Moreover, the Regional Secretary for Science and Technology mentioned several technological infrastructures already installed in the archipelago, which confirms "the valuable services the Azores can provide in the field of space technologies," a relevant area under the Strategy for the Smart Specialisation of the Azores (RIS3).

"The European Space Agency station and the Galileo Sensor on Santa Maria, the ARM project, (Atmospheric Radiation Measurement) Climate Research Facility, which measures atmospheric radiation, the Infrasound IS42 station, decisive in the monitoring of nuclear tests and seismo-volcanic activity, and the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network project on Graciosa, currently under consideration, confirm the relevance of the Azores in these areas," said the government official.

In addition to the scientific interest of these technological infrastructures, the Regional Secretary for Science pointed out the economic potential and creation of skilled jobs that these projects bring to the Azores.